Sony acquires Roland Garros media rights

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has bagged the media rights to broadcast Roland-Garros starting from 2022 till 2024. The three-year deal will give SPN exclusive TV and digital rights of Roland-Garros, and it will broadcast the tournament across the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. The tournament will also be available to be live-streamed on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.

Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution, and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks, India, commented:
“Following the successful broadcast of the Australian Open over the past years on our network, we are delighted to acquire the media rights of the prestigious RolandGarros. The pedigree of the French Open will help us cater to the steadily growing tennis fanbase in India. With this acquisition, we reiterate our goal to position Sony Sports Network as the home to marquee global sports events.”

Gilles Moretton, President, French Tennis Federation, added:
“We are delighted with the signing of this Sony Pictures Networks India contract. This new agreement ensures maximum exposure in India and its subcontinent. It means our tournament will be celebrated in this part of the world where tennis fans and Roland-Garros fans are increasingly numerous.”

Roland-Garros is scheduled to take place between May 22 and June 5 this year, and SPN states that the coverage will be similar to that of the Australian Open, which gave Sony the maximum reach in India earlier this year, reaching a record viewership of 22 million.